Sports
Verstappen speeding towards title with Belgian win
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Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took another giant stride towards a second successive Formula One title with a dominant win from 14th on the grid in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.
The Dutch driver, who was quickest in qualifying but dropped down the grid due to engine and gearbox-related penalties, delivered a masterclass as he beat Mexican team mate Sergio Perez by 17.8 seconds and set the fastest lap.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz finished a distant third after starting from pole position.
“The car was really on rails,” said Verstappen, who swept into the lead on the 12th of 44 laps and took his ninth win from 14 races this season.
“Once we were in the lead, it was all about managing everything.
“It’s been a weekend I couldn’t imagine before,” added the 24-year-old after his second successive win at Spa, although last year’s victory came after a farcical three laps splashing through the rain behind the safety car.
This win completes a perfect weekend for us @redbullracing. The car was unreal today, it felt like a rocketship 🚀
We’ll keep pushing as we want more of these, starting next week in Zandvoort pic.twitter.com/D3uQAZm3lE
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) August 28, 2022
Verstappen went into the weekend already not needing to win again this season but his victory on Sunday, the 29th of his career, put him a massive 93 points clear of Perez, who moved into second overall.
The experienced Mexican has often acted as ‘rear-gunner’ to Verstappen and on Sunday again dutifully let him through to take the lead.
“Max was on another planet today, he was flying, he was untouchable,” said Perez.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who started one place behind Verstappen in 15th after collecting similar grid drops, finished fifth on the road but was demoted to sixth after a penalty for speeding in the pitlane.
The Monegasque, who was the championship favourite early in the season, dropped to third overall and 98 points behind Verstappen with eight races remaining.
Forced to pit early after a visor tear-off strip got lodged in a front brake duct, Leclerc was looking at a predicted fifth place finish before the race was even at its halfway mark while Verstappen ran away at the front.
“I’m not feeling good, obviously,” said Leclerc.
“The thing that is strange is the feeling is quite okay inside the car but then you look at the pace compared to Red Bull and they are on another planet completely.”
Sainz kept the lead at the start, with Perez slow in getting away alongside as Alpine’s Fernando Alonso and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton slotted into second and third.
The former McLaren team mates then made contact as seven-times world champion Hamilton tried to overtake the double champion around the outside into the Les Combes chicane.
“This guy only knows how to drive starting first,” Alonso vented.
Hamilton, who parked up his damaged car, accepted responsibility for the incident and said Alonso had been in his blind spot.
Further behind, Valtteri Bottas beached his Alfa Romeo in the gravel while trying to avoid the spinning Williams of Nicholas Latifi in an incident that brought out the safety car.
George Russell salvaged fourth place for Mercedes, with Alonso elevated to fifth as a result of Leclerc’s penalty.
Esteban Ocon took seventh for Alpine, after overtaking two cars in one move — a pass bringing back memories of double world champion Mika Hakkinen’s on Michael Schumacher at the 2000 Belgian Grand Prix.
Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel was eighth ahead of AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly with Alex Albon securing the final point for Williams in a race he ranked as one of his toughest.
Formula One now heads to Zandvoort for Verstappen’s home Dutch Grand Prix, the second of a triple header that will bring the curtain down on the sport’s European season at Italy’s Monza.
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Emirates Dubai 7s is returning to The Sevens Stadium from November 27 to 29, with tickets now on sale for the three-day sports and entertainment festival.
The 2026 edition will bring together international rugby, amateur sports, live music and family entertainment, with organisers promising a bigger programme than previous years.
The festival attracted more than 88,000 visitors in 2025 and will again take place during the final weekend of the Dubai Fitness Challenge.
Ticket prices
Ticket prices for General Admission and Hospitality have stayed the same for a third consecutive year.
Three-day General Admission tickets cost Dh595 per person, while the three-day Family Pass is Dh1,136 for two adults and two children.
Other ticket options
- Group pass: Dh446 per person for four or more adults
- Saturday or Sunday: Dh455
- Friday: Dh75
- Under 15s: Free
- People of Determination + carer: Dh375
Tickets can be purchased through the Emirates Dubai 7s website and app.
Bigger family attractions
Family entertainment will get a major boost this year as the UAE celebrates the Year of the Family.
The festival will feature its biggest-ever Kids’ Zone, including the UAE’s largest inflatable kids’ zone, along with a Ferris wheel and zipline. More attractions are expected to be announced ahead of the event.
Six sports and top rugby action
Alongside elite rugby, visitors can watch or take part in competitions across six sports — rugby, netball, cricket, WODON3 fitness, Rebound padel and Gaelic Football.
Gaelic Football will join the festival for the first time in 2026.
The Sevens Stadium will also host the opening round of the HSBC SVNS Series 2027, bringing the world’s leading rugby sevens players to Dubai.
The WODON3 Elite final will take place on Pitch 1 between HSBC SVNS matches, with competitors potentially performing in front of crowds of up to 20,000.
Music all weekend
Live entertainment will run throughout the festival, with local and international artists performing across three days.
Last year’s line-up included Tinie Tempah, Sean Paul and Fisher, while the 2026 headline acts will be announced later.
For a premium experience, The Sunroom returns with all-inclusive food and drinks, shaded seating, prime sporting views and dedicated access. Packages start from Dh1,925 per person.
With sport, music and family attractions packed into one weekend, Emirates Dubai 7s is gearing up for another big Dubai event.
UAE drivers warned: Failing to stop for school bus carries a Dh1,000 fine and 10 points
Emirates Dubai 7s 2026: Tickets on sale as festival returns with bigger family zone
